Before moving to Japan, I could count the number of times I had been to an American dollar store: three. Now I have already lost track of the number of times I have visited a Japanese dollar store. The big ones are Daiso, Can Do, and Seria. They are marvels of consumer culture and innovation. I limit the number of visits I allow myself because it is too easy to walk away with things I don't actually need - in a word, junk. I made a trip yesterday to pick up craft supplies for my daughter. Some items are permanent inventory, but others are seasonal. Here are some interesting things I found at Daiso:
Insulated Lunch Bags
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| Note the insulated case made especially for onigiri, rice balls. |
Mini Measuring Cup
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| Super cute and dishwasher safe. It measure in milliliters, tablespoons, and teaspoons. |
Animal-shaped Sponges
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Training chopsticks
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| The bottom row is Shinkansen-themed and attaches to any chopstick to create a training chopstick. |
A Bun Cover
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| Possibly the most bizarre item I saw. |
Baby Shoe Clips
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| In Japan, adults, kids, and even babies take off their shoes whenever there is the possibility of the shoe sullying a clean surface. This is the case for babies in strollers. I see these baby shoe clips everywhere - wish I discovered this a few years earlier! |
Nasal Aspirator
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| Like Nose Frida, and just as effective, but much cheaper. I bought one for our travel bag, because vacations need not be disrupted by congestion. |
Kids & Travel Toys
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Baby Drink Holder
Crafts Supplies Galore
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Just a fraction of the crafts supplies. |
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| These are the kinds of all-inclusive craft kits that I like to buy for school holidays. |
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| Some things are 300 or 500 yen. |
Origami Paper
Daiso is so large. These are a small selection of things I usually buy or find interesting. As a tourist, I could probably spend two hours here. It is the perfect place to buy souvenirs on a budget.
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